One-Shot: Don't Take the Girls
by LawrenceDaddarioWatsonStewart
Summary: A story about Luke waiting for both Lorelai and Rory to give birth, post-AYITL. Enjoy!


**One-Shot: Don't Take the Girls**

Luke Danes had always hated hospitals. The smells, the limbo and pulsating of life in the balance. The uncertainty... it made him nervous.

That uncertainty ate away at him now, as he sat alone in a waiting room in the middle of the night, anxious to hear about the fate of two women who made his world turn.

Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, his wife at last, had fallen pregnant miraculously on their wedding night. After Bible references about Abraham and Sarah had been thrown around to address the elephant in the room - their shared middle age - the couple had tearfully embraced and begun to expect the child they had always wanted to make together.

Lorelai Leigh Gilmore's pregnancy had been less expected. Rory, as she was known, was only 32 and unwed. Yet she had fallen pregnant with her college lover's child. She had met up with that Huntzberger fellow a few weeks before her mother's wedding in New Hampshire and one thing had led to another.

Now, as it happened, both mother and daughter were about to give birth... on the same day, as it was already well past midnight. The breaking of water minutes apart had been shattering, and Luke had nearly had a panic attack driving both to the hospital. Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. Anyone else vying for the title of Most Improbable Events needed to take their balls and go home. For Luke Danes was about to become a father (again!) and a grandfather all in one day.

Rory's baby did not belong to him by blood. Nor did Rory herself. Even that reminder filled Luke with a stubborn prickliness as he tried to banish the thought, however true it was, from his mind. No. Rory was his. He had not made her with Lorelai, but they had brought the precious girl up together. Sometimes, he would even slip in conversation with his wife and refer to Rory as "our daughter." And Lorelai never refuted it. Luke loved Rory as his own. Before April, before Jess (in a sense)... he had her. She was his first child, his eldest child.

And the first to give him a grandbaby.

A doctor suddenly entered the deserted room and asked, "Mr. Danes?"

Luke stood.

"The babies will be ready to come out soon. And they look fine. But their mommies are weak."

Luke leapt for him. "What's wrong? Are there complications? I need to go back there..."

The doctor held up a hand. "We need to learn more. But once we do, you will be notified." He left.

Luke sunk into the armchair, head in his lap. No... if those girls died, and he lived... he'd have nothing. Even if the babies survived, he would have absolutely nothing. April and Jess would make sure he didn't do something drastic, but still...

Luke Danes had never prayed before in his life. But he prayed now. Someone had better be listening... somewhere...

 _Take the very breath you gave me. Take the heart from my chest. Take me out of this world... but please don't take the girls._

Hours later, the doctor returned to fetch him. "Both have rallied. They will be fine. Would you like to see the births?"

Luke followed the doctor into the ward and then the room that his wife and daughter shared. Both Gilmore girls would be giving birth side by side. Lorelai was having a slightly preemie baby, but she was tough. Rory was a tad overdue.

And now both were screaming and swearing like sailors on leave.

With the patience of Job, Luke knelt between the gurneys and took a hand from each of his girls. He let them scream in his ear. He let them nearly break every finger he had between them. And all the while, he just repeated one phrase like a chant: "I love you, my Lorelais... I love you."

Rory gave birth to her baby girl first, whom she named Lorelai Emily Gilmore. The special nickname would be figured out later. A minute later, Lorelai followed by giving birth to her and Luke's son. William Richard Danes.

With a jolt, Luke realized that his son was Rory's baby brother... and the baby was already a minute younger than his niece. What a blessed, blended family.

Luke cut the umbilical cords for both and covered his girls' faces with kisses and happy tears. He held each infant in turn and pledged his love to every member of his family over and over again.

At last, the clan was complete.


End file.
